


Rinse and Repeat

by Oddree13



Series: Kliego Week 2020 [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Diego Hargreeves Speaks Spanish, Diego and Klaus saw each other before the funeral and you can't tell me otherwise, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Language Angst, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Pseudo-Incest, no beta we die like ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:29:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddree13/pseuds/Oddree13
Summary: It starts a year after moving out of the Academy.Diego’s been on his own, renting a studio in the shitty part of town, as far away from Reginald’s influence as possible - which means no Mom to do laundry. So every other Wednesday, Diego takes his bag of clothes down to the local laundromat and reads shitty spy novels from the local library while his clothes wash and dry.Only this time, he walks in and sees Klaus. There is no mistaking his brother, despite the lack of clothes. It seems in the year since he’s been gone his brother’s shamelessness has only grown as he’s sitting in just a pair of neon briefs.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Kliego Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985090
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66
Collections: Kliego Week 2020





	Rinse and Repeat

**Author's Note:**

> For the Kliego Week Prompt - Pre-Canon
> 
> I will not believe that these two did not run into each other after the Academy! 
> 
> Spanish translations at the end

It starts a year after moving out of the Academy. 

Diego’s been on his own, renting a studio in the shitty part of town, as far away from Reginald’s influence as possible - which means no Mom to do laundry. So every other Wednesday, Diego takes his bag of clothes down to the local laundromat and reads shitty spy novels from the local library while his clothes wash and dry. 

Only this time, he walks in and sees Klaus. There is no mistaking his brother, despite the lack of clothes. It seems in the year since he’s been gone his brother’s shamelessness has only grown as he’s sitting in just a pair of neon briefs. 

“Klaus,” Diego starts, unable to hide all the fondness in his voice as he calls out to his brother, and is unable to stop a smile from forming when Klaus looks up and spots him, looking surprised. 

“Diego! What a small world!” Klaus calls out, walking over in bare feet to hug his brother.

“If this is Sir’s idea of getting me to come back you either really misinterpreted his instructions or he’s trying new tactics now.”

“No, no, this isn’t Dad’s doing, I can assure you. No, I don’t think I’ve seen the old man in six months now? But who knows, not even sure what day it is really…” he trails off, looking around the room as if the whirring of the dryers will give him an answer. 

“ _Diego, ¿conoces a este loco desnudo?_ ” the woman behind the counter calls and Diego throws an apologetic look to Elba. 

“ _Lo siento, es mi hermano...._ ” he replies, unsure of how to say ‘I’ll make him put on pants. 

“Since when do you know how to speak Spanish?” Klaus asks, pulling Diego to the seats in front of his laundry. 

“Since I got sick of every person around here frowning when I don’t understand them,” Diego grumbles. He learned Greek, Latin, and French in the Academy, but Sir never thought it was important for him to learn Spanish despite his constant requests. But now? Now Diego experienced a different kind of resentment when people looked at him, learned his name, and tried talking to him in a language he should have known if Sir hadn’t bought him. 

“Well, it suits you. Now tell me what brings you here?”

“Laundry, the same as you I guess, but I made the decision to wear pants,” Diego points out, making Klaus grin. 

“I would have too if those didn’t need to be washed. Do you live around here?” Klaus pries.

Diego wants to lie. He doesn’t want his old life creeping into the sanctuary he’s built for himself, but Klaus has always been his weak spot. 

“Uh yeah, it’s just a studio. Not much in there other than a mattress and some chairs, but I’m working on it. How about you?”

“Oh you know me, I get by. Pretty face like me usually finds a place,” Klaus hums, as he rummages through Diego’s laundry bag. “And here I thought if you moved out you’d get some color in your wardrobe.”

“No chance ghost boy. Besides, black looks good on me,” he grins and moves to start his wash cycle. “Hey once your clothes are done do you want to get something to eat? It's my Wednesday routine - laundry and tacos if you’re up for it.”

“Are you paying?” 

***

The laundromat becomes their regular meeting spot. Twice a month, Diego does laundry and Klaus comes to bug him, sometimes washing his clothes, but more often than not, just coming to catch up. 

Klaus misses their meeting sometimes. On those days Diego finds himself skipping tacos and wandering around just in case he finds his brother. He never does, but he knows that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he doesn’t try. 

The third time Klaus misses laundry day, Diego picks up a =police radio scanner from the army surplus store and keeps it running in his apartment the nights Klaus doesn’t show up. 

***

Four years after their first run-in, Klaus comes into the laundromat with a black eye and Diego sees red. 

“Who did this and what happened?”

“Calm down there zorro, I’m fine, I just got in over my head is all,” he sighs, waving his hand to brush Diego off. 

“How did you get in over your head?” he asks, taking Klaus’ bag of laundry and starts doing it for him.

“By offering a straight guy a blowjob.”

Diego has to brace himself against the washing machine to spot himself from running out and finding whoever did this to his brother. “Klaus, you know you don’t deserve that right?”

“Oh, Didi don’t be so noble. Besides, I ran off pretty quickly so he didn’t get any more hits on me. Now tell me, are tacos still on the table because I can’t remember the last time I ate, and before you start I’m not in the mood for a lecture on my lifestyle. I’m only in the mood for a burrito.”

“Yeah, tacos are still on the table. Doña Cruz has been asking after you so no doubt you’ll get extra food from her considering she always nags me about you. _¿Por qué tu amigo es tan flaco? ¡Necesitas engordarlo!_ ” he imitates, and Klaus just laughs. 

“I only caught the word for skinny but your Spanish is coming along. I’m impressed.”

“Well I’ve been practicing with a woman I met at the local community college who’s also studying for the police academy exam,” Diego confesses, and Klaus immediately zeroes in on that. 

“A woman Diego. Tell me more. Do you like her? Pretty? What is your type anyway,” Klaus rambles, and Diego indulges him in his questions, happy that his brother is hanging around long enough this time for a proper catching up.

***

Diego’s been coming to the laundromat now for seven years, even though he’s moved farther away, but it's his only link to Klaus - the only good thing left in his life, he thinks bitterly.

He made it only halfway through the police academy before getting tossed out - a combination of a false identity and authority issues will do that. Eudora broke up with him soon after, not because he couldn’t keep his shit together, but because Diego only knows how to push and push until no one is left. This is why Diego keeps coming back to the laundromat looking for Klaus despite the argument they got into the last time - both of them yelling at the other about the ways they keep trying to get themselves killed. 

That was six months ago.

But Diego doesn’t stop hoping because if he stops hoping that means Klaus isn’t coming back. He feels like Vanya, leaving out sandwiches for a person he knows won’t reappear. 

Unlike Five though, Klaus finally reappears on a Wednesday in January, with bare feet and no coat, despite the incoming blizzard. He’s shaking and not just from the cold. 

“Klaus?” Diego calls out and his brother holds up a hand, now inscribed with ‘Hello’, and just collapses against Diego’s shoulder. 

“I know you hate me, and sometimes I think I hate you, but I didn’t know where else to go,” he chokes, and Diego just nods before ushering Klaus outside into his car. 

“What about your laundry?” Klaus asks, bundling into the front seat of the car, shaky hands moving to turn the heater on. 

“I didn’t have any to do tonight,” he replies, Klaus responding with a fond watery smile. 

They drive to Al’s and Diego lets them in through the back. He shows Klaus the gym showers, puts him into the one with the hottest water, and goes to get him a towel and something warm to wear. 

“It’s all black but I think you can deal for a few nights until the storm dies down.”

“No, Diego I don’t have to stay here that long,” Klaus frets, pulling the sleeves of the sweater over his hands. 

“Klaus it’s a fucking blizzard. I think we can manage until then.”

“I’ll be in withdrawal in a few days and you’ll kick me out then so why not just cut out the hoping?”

Diego runs a hand over his face and looks down at the floor. “Do you have drugs on you right now?”

Klaus isn’t sure how to answer, but he knows his brother won’t go for dishonesty so he just nods. “Yeah, I have a few joints and some other pills.”

“Do you think you can just smoke while here? I’m not sending you back into the cold and I don’t want to argue about this again because I’m exhausted and I know you’ll leave if we do,” he pleads. 

“Yeah man, yeah. Just pot and if I start to get really bad I’ll let you know,” he nods and lets Diego lead him back to the boiler room. 

Diego can see the snow coming down harder now, the flakes piling along the small window outside. “Bed’s there. We can share because the heat in this place is shit,” he admits and goes to turn on the busted radiator. 

“Are you sure? I mean the couch is fine and I just came from an alley so..." Klaus offers, but is cut off. 

“You never used to complain about sharing a bed with me back at the Academy? If my memory serves me you used to come into my room pretty often.”

“Fine, but only because you sound nostalgic Didi,” he teases, and crawls into the bed after Diego. 

“What’s with the new ink?” Diego asks once the quiet and dark have settled around them. “I told myself I wouldn’t get another after Sir forced us.”

“I, uh, it’s going to sound dumb,” Klaus begins, and Diego quietly waits for an answer in the silence. “I’m basically a ouija board, right? So I thought why not make it official? Besides I wanted to see if it would help me conjure.”

“Does it?” Diego asks curiously. 

“Sometimes,” Klaus admits with a yawn and thinks about how he hasn’t seen Ben in a few weeks. 

“Go to sleep Klaus. We can talk in the morning. I’ve got you,” he murmurs, the same way he always did when they were kids, wrapping his arms around Klaus’ middle to keep him safe. 

***

Diego stops going to the laundromat after that blizzard, but his Wednesdays are still open for Klaus. His brother knows to find him at the gym after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Diego, ¿conoces a este loco desnudo? - Diego do you know this crazy naked man?  
> Lo siento, es mi hermano....” - I'm sorry, he's my brother  
> ¿Por qué tu amigo es tan flaco? ¡Necesitas engordarlo! - Why is your friend so skinny? You need to fatten him up!


End file.
